Confused About Eggs and Heart Health? It's a Mixed Basket

It was a lovely late Sunday morning. Music was drifting
across the backyard, the air was full of laughter and snatches of cheery
conversations, our host was making the rounds with a tray of champagne mimosas,
and plates were piled high with scrumptious brunch treats. “Sarah,” my dad
whispered, “they’re trying to kill us.”

What could have provoked my poor father, just months after surviving
a devastating stroke, to accuse his very gracious hosts and dear friends of
plotting his demise? Without a doubt, it was the Eggs Benedict.

Back in the 1990s, cholesterol was the heart’s sworn enemy.
We were told that if we vigilantly avoided cholesterol, then we could avoid the
devastating duo of heart disease and stroke. Since it is cholesterol buildup in
the arteries that typically causes these conditions, it stood to reason that by
avoiding cholesterol, we might avoid this plague of the modern world. Each egg
provides about 200 mg of cholesterol, which is the top limit recommended for
people at risk for cardiovascular disease. Those with no major risk factors
should limit their cholesterol to 300 mg daily. (Besides eggs, cholesterol is
also abundant in red meat and full fat dairy products.) That’s all well and
good, but what was less apparent at the time was the fact that our body is
fully capable of making its own cholesterol, such that dietary cholesterol
accounts for less than one third of our total cholesterol number.

Nevertheless, it still seems to make good sense to limit egg
consumption. Why ask for trouble? Studies on the subject have been limited by
the fact that there is no way to do double-blinded randomized controlled
research, so most rely on dietary questionnaires. There is some evidence that more
than six eggs per week may increase risk, while other studies suggest that it
is only people with diabetes who should stringently avoid eggs.

A recent report from the Stroke Prevention and
Atherosclerosis Research Centre in Ontario performed ultrasound testing on the
carotid (neck) arteries of 1262 people who filled out dietary questionnaires.
Since the carotids feed the brain, cholesterol buildup in these arteries can
have serious consequences. The study subjects were asked specifically about egg
yolk consumption. The researchers found that those who ate 3 or more eggs per
week had substantially more cholesterol plaque than those who on average
consumed less than two eggs weekly. The likelihood of plaque increased
substantially after the age of 40.

Of course, there is a lot we don’t know about the people who
were studied. Did they eat bacon and sausage with their eggs? Did it matter if
the eggs were fried rather than boiled? What about farm-raised free-range eggs,
as opposed to those from battery hens?

If you like eggs, it makes sense to account for that cholesterol
in your weekly diet plan. If you’re going to eat eggs, say “no thanks” to the
meat and cheese, so you can keep your cholesterol intake to a safe level.
Better yet, choose a side of soy sausage (seriously, it tastes really good!)
and a heaping helping of fruit to balance out your diet and keep your heart and
brain healthy and strong.

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